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For many years, we supported ourselves with donations, book sales, and a few grants. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to fund our books. Without your support and donations, there would be no Jackpine Writers’ Bloc and no Talking Stick books. Remember, your tax donation is tax deductible. We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

February 19th 2006

Today we had our February meeting at Beagle Books in Park Rapids. Present: Roy, Cynthia, Sandi, John, Jerry, Russ and Sharon. Tarah is still in Oklahoma.

The next meeting will be on Sunday, March 19, 2006, from 1:30 to 4 at Beagle Books in Park Rapids.

TALKING STICK 15:

We have started on the next book. Submission guidelines have gone out. June 1st deadline this year. We will be paying out prize money like last year for the same three categories. We are working on judges now.

ANNUAL JACKPINE WRITERS’ CELEBRATION:

August 5 is the date for the Third Annual Jackpine Writers’ Celebration at Long Lake Theater. We were not able to get Hubbard Hall this year. They have another church building added on to the Theater this year, so there should be plenty of room for a workshop there.

WORKSHOPS:

Cindie is working on possible workshops for 2006. We are not sure if we will be able to have one this year on the day of the celebration.

WRITING EVENTS:

1. 30×30. John, Cindie, Jerry, Roy and Cynthia are all involved this year in 30×30. This is 30 pieces of art that 30 writers write something about. McCrostie Gallery in Grand Rapids. Jerry wants to do something like this on a smaller scale in Park Rapids, perhaps 20×20, perhaps with North Country Museum.

8. Bloomington Writers’ Festival at Bloomington Center for the Arts on April 1, 2006 from 9:30 am to 4 pm. Workshops, readings, tables with books for sale. Contact Kate Pettit at 952-835-5227 or lpettit@gowebway.com.

OUR WRITERS’ SUCCESSES:

Russ won first place in short fiction contest in Lake Country Journal and won $500. Congrats, Russ!!

Sharon had her poem “Come Back Again” recently published in the February 2006 issue of the Edge Life magazine.

Jerry recently went to Washington DC with a group of Electric Co-op directors to hear the State of the Union message. He wrote his observations and they were published in the Review Messenger from Sebeka/Menahga. It is being exerpted in the Electric Co-op statewide newsletter. It may go on the national newsletter.

Roy wrote a play from one of Jerry’s stories, Rules of Engagement. The group read it today.

No time for writing exercises today. Fun meeting, lots of laughs and good comments/compliments on each other’s writing. We look forward to John’s future collection of poems, tentative title: Not Lily-White.